Medford Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Domestic Violence Assault and Kidnapping

MEDFORD, Ore. — A 33-year-old Medford man, Joseph Latu Jr., was sentenced to 17 years in prison for an October 2023 domestic violence incident in Medford.

Jackson County Judge Hands Down Sentence For First Degree Assault In Domestic Violence Incident

The charges emerged after the victim, who was dating Latu at the time, reported an argument at his apartment.

The court heard that, when she tried to leave, Latu dragged her back inside by her hair and assaulted her, causing significant injuries.

She said she was unable to leave the apartment for several days because of continued violence and threats of further harm, and Latu had sex with her while one of her eyes was swollen shut from the earlier assault. The victim feared further violence if she resisted.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Markiewicz acquitted Latu of a charge of first-degree rape tied to the same incident, as the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Latu knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion as defined under Oregon law. Latu was found of first-degree kidnapping, constituting domestic violence, and first-degree assault, constituting domestic violence.

Prosecutors noted that Latu has a history of violent offenses. In August 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of strangulation, constituting domestic violence, for conduct in September 2023 against the same victim and was sentenced to 28 months in prison. He was on probation for fourth-degree assault, constituting domestic violence, involving a different victim in the current case.

Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence- 27½ years- but Markiewicz imposed a 200-month sentence, or about 17 years, plus three years of post-prison supervision. The first 90 months will be served day-for-day under Measure 11, which mandates minimum prison terms for certain violent crimes.